Apparatus for feeding articles at constant rate

ABSTRACT

A rotatable drum for receiving articles to be measured out is formed with a recess defined by an outwardly jutting wall of the drum and a passage communicating with the recess. A measuring section includes an independent compartment within the drum formed with a window and has a measuring member whose position is adjustable with respect to the window to control the volume of the articles to be determined by the measuring section. Due to the rotation of the drum, the articles are collected in the recess and then carried through the passage to the measuring section, where the measuring member receives the articles at the adjusted position and permits a constant amount of the articles to be sent into the compartment. An excess amount of the articles are sent back to the interior of the drum through the window. The articles in the compartment are then sent out of the drum by way of a delivery path.

United States Patent [1 1 Yamada [54] APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ARTICLES ATCONSTANT RATE [75] Inventor:

[7 3] Assignee: Koyo Lindberg Hevi Duty Company,

Limited, Osaka, Japan [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 170,506

Harumi Yamada, Kashihara, Japan [30] Foreign Application Priority Data51 May 22, 1973 [5 7] ABSTRACT A rotatable drum for receiving articlesto be measured out is formed with a recess defined by an outwardlyjutting wall of the drum and a passage communicating with the recess. Ameasuring section includes an independent compartment within the drumformed with a window and has a measuring member whose position isadjustable with respect to the window to control the volume of thearticles to be determined by the measuring section. Due to the rotationof the drum, the articles are collected in the recess and then carriedthrough the passage to the measuring section, where the measuring memberreceives the articles at the adjusted position and permits a constantamount of the articles to be sent into the compartment. An excess amountof the articles are sent back to the interior of the drum through thewindow. The articles in the compartment are then sent out of the drum byway of a delivery path.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patented May 22, 1973 m'm-wme HARUWYAMADA 5mamJ'M :m

A? 770/8 ME/ APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ARTICLES AT CONSTANT RATE BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus forfeeding articles such as granules, relatively short rods, cylindricalarticles or the like at a constant rate to a subsequent process.

In the case where a predetermined amount of various small parts orarticles are fed to a subsequent process or to a packaging process atplants for manufacturing machines and parts for electrical appliances,it is very troublesome to count the number of the parts one by one. Toeliminate such trouble, the articles may be batched, but even in thiscase measurement is conducted manually with low efficiency.

For improved production, it has been suggested to rationalize the supplyline in recent years. From this viewpoint, the above-mentioned method ofmeasurement which requires labor is by no means efficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide anapparatus for automatically feeding granules, relatively short rodlikearticles, cylindrical articles or the like always at a constant rate byeach cycle of feeding operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the typedescribed for feeding articles at a constant and yet readilycontrollable rate.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of theforegoing type which can be installed at an intermediate portion of asupply path such as a chute or the like for automatically conveying thearticles from one process to another.

The apparatus of this invention comprises a rotatable drum for receivingarticles to be fed formed with a recess defined by an outwardly juttingwall of the drum, guide walls extending upright from the inner face ofthe drum for guiding the articles collected in the recess, a passagedefined by the extension of the outwardly jutting wall for passing thearticles guided by the guide walls, a measuring section including anindependent compartment within the drum for receiving the articles fromthe passage and discharging the articles at a constant rate uponmeasurement, and a delivery path for sending out the articles from themeasuring section to the outside of the drum by the rotation of thedrum.'

The measuring section is formed with a window for returning an excessamount of the articles to the interior of the drum and has a measuringmember whose position is adjustable with respect to the window tocontrol the volume of feed to be determined by the measuring section.The articles supplied from the passage is received by the measuringmember at the adjusted position, whereby a constant amount of thearticles are sent into the compartment and an excess amount of thearticles are returned to the interior of the drum.

The drum is further formed at its one side with an inlet for receivingthe articles from transport means such as a chute and has at the otherside an outlet of the delivery path for feeding the articles at aconstant rate to a subsequent process by way of transport means such asa chute.

In accordance with this invention, the articles supplied into therotating drum are collected in the recess and then sent into themeasuring section through the passage.The amount of the articles arelimited when they pass through the passage, and at the measuring sectionthe articles in excess of the volume determined by the measuring memberare sent back to the interior of the drum through the window. Due to thecontinuous rotation of the drum, the articles measured out are carriedthrough the delivery path onto the transport means for conveying thearticles to the next process.

By adjusting the position of the measuring member with respect to thewindow, the volume of the articles to be measured out at the measuringsection by one cycle of operation is suitably determined.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the apparatus ofthis invention may be installed at an intermediate portion of a supplypath to feed articles automatically at a constant rate.

The articles to be fed at a constant rate by the apparatus of thisinvention are not limited to the parts of machines and electricalappliances, but any articles in granular, rodlike, cylindrical or likeform such as grains or processed foods can also be measured.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparentfrom the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front view in verticalsection showing the construction of principal part of an embodiment ofthis invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation showing the principal part in section takenalong the line II II in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing,indicated at A are articles to be measured which are supplied bytransport means 1 such as a chute. The articles may be in the form ofgranules, rods, cylinders, or in any desired form. The transport means 1may be a chute as illustrated or a hopper, conveyor, a gravity-feedingchute or any desired means.

The chute 1 extends into an opening 2a at the center of the end face ofa tapered cylindrical portion 2 extending from a drum 3 and supplies thearticles A to be measured into the drum 3. Provided externally aroundthe drum 3 is a guide rail 4 which is placed on guide rollers 5rotatably supported on unillustrated support means. Drive means to bedescribed later rotates the drum 4 at a constant speed.

The drum 3 further includes a recess 6 defined by an outwardly juttingwall of the drum 3 into which the articles A supplied into the drum 3are collected by the rotation of the drum 3. Guide walls 7 disposed atthe opposite sides of the recess 6 extend upright from the inner face ofthe drum 3 to conduct the articles A from the recess 6 into a passage 8extending along the outer wall of the drum 3 and communicating with ameasuring section 9.

The measuring section 9 is defined by a partition 10 which forms anindependent compartment within the drum 3. A window 11 permitting themeasuring section 9 to communicate with the interior of the drum 3 isformed in the partition 10. The measuring section 9 further includesadjusting means 12 incorporating therein a measuring block 14 whoseposition is adjustable by an adjusting bolt 13 with respect to thewindow 11. The block 14 serves as a measuring member and is sopositioned as to receive the articles A sent through the channel 8 byvirtue of the rotation of the drum 3.

The constant rate of feed of the articles as determined by the measuringsection 9 can be controlled by adjusting the position of the block 14relative to the window 11 and an excess amount of the articles A arereturned to the interior of the drum 3 by way of the window 11.

Arranged subsequent to the measuring section 9 are delivery passages 15and 16 for discharging the measured amount of the articles from themeasuring section 9 at a constant rate by the rotation of the drum 3.The passage 16 communicates with a flaring outlet chute 17 disposed atthe center of the end of the drum 3. Positioned below the chute 17 isanother chute 18 or some other means for transporting the articles tothe next process.

To drive the drum 3, the output shaft 20 of a reduction gear to beoperated by a motor or the like is connected to the drum 3 by a coupling21. The drum 3 is driven on the guide rollers 5 at a constant speed inthe direction of an arrow N in FIG. 2.

In the foregoing apparatus, the articles A supplied into the drum 3 arecarried forward by the rotation of the drum 3 in the direction of thearrow N in FIG. 2. When charged into the drum 3 by means of the chute l,the articles are moved within the drum 3 in the direction of an arrow Band the rotation of the drum 3 sends them toward the direction of anarrow C into the recess 6 and then into the passage 8 along the guides7. At this time, the articles other than those led into the passage 8pass over the guide walls 7, along the inner face of the drum 3 and backinto the recess 6 again due to the continuous rotation of the drum. Thearticles are then sent into the passage 8.

After passing through the passage 8, the articles abut the measuringblock 14 at the measuring section 9, whereupon a given amount of thearticles as determined by the position of the block 14 relative to thewindow 11 are sent forward along the delivery passages N, the articlesare collected in the recess 6. When the drum 3 further rotates aboutfrom this position, measurement is conducted at the measuring sectionand the articles measured out are then sent out of the drum by way ofthe delivery path as the drum further rotates.

The window 11 may be of a desired shape, insofar as it does not permitthe articles measured out to return to the interior of the drum aftermeasurement.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for feeding articles at a constant rate comprising, adrum rotatable in a given direction at a constant speed and formed witha recess defined by an outwardly jutting wall of said drum forcollecting the articles supplied into said drum for measurement and apassage defined by the extension of said wall and communicating withsaid recess, guide plates having a given height for guiding the articlesfrom said recess into said passage, a measuring section including anindependent compartment communicating with said passage, said measuringsection having a window formed in a partition wall between saidcompartment and said drum and adjustable means supporting a movablemeasuring member for bodily adjustment with respect to said window forreceiving the articles sent through said passage and determining thevolume of the articles by the position of said measuring member withrespect to said window to permit an excess amount of the articles to besent back to the interior of the drum through said window, and adelivery path defining means extending from said compartment to anoutlet of said drum for discharging the articles measured out at saidmeasuring section from said drum by the rotation of said drum.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustable meansfor adjusting the position of said measuring member with respect to saidwindow to thereby control the volume of the articles to be determined bysaid measuring section includes adjustable screw means connected to saidmeasuring member.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drum is formed atthe center of one end thereof with an opening for supplying the articlesdirectly from transport means and said outlet is a flaring outlet chuteformed at the center of the other end of said drum.

1. An apparatus for feeding articles at a constant rate comprising, adrum rotatable in a given direction at a constant speed and formed witha recess defined by an outwardly jutting wall of said drum forcollecting the articles supplied into said drum for measurement and apassage defined by the extension of said wall and communicating withsaid recess, guide plates having a given height for guiding the articlesfrom said recess into said passage, a measuring section including anindependent compartment communicating with said passage, said measuringsection having a window formed in a partition wall between saidcompartment and said drum and adjustable means supporting a movablemeasuring member for bodily adjustment with respect to said window forreceiving the articles sent through said passage and determining thevolume of the articles by the position of said measuring member withrespect to said window to permit an excess amount of the articles to besent back to the interior of the drum through said window, and adelivery Path defining means extending from said compartment to anoutlet of said drum for discharging the articles measured out at saidmeasuring section from said drum by the rotation of said drum.
 2. Theapparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjustable means foradjusting the position of said measuring member with respect to saidwindow to thereby control the volume of the articles to be determined bysaid measuring section includes adjustable screw means connected to saidmeasuring member.
 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein saiddrum is formed at the center of one end thereof with an opening forsupplying the articles directly from transport means and said outlet isa flaring outlet chute formed at the center of the other end of saiddrum.